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/ 26 November 2003

Price inflation continues to fall

Year-on-year producer price inflation for all commodities sank to minus 1,8% last month from minus one percent in September, Statistics SA said on Wednesday. It ascribed the latest production price index (PPI) to, among others, an annual rate of decrease in the cost of manufacturing petroleum and coal products.

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/ 26 November 2003

Relatives and strangers at forefront of Aids care

”We have lots of calls from people wanting to adopt. The first thing they always ask is ‘does the child have HIV’. These people don’t want a child they know is going to die,” says Jane Mwase, resident manager at Nkosi’s Haven. Tens of thousands of South African children orphaned or rejected by their extended families as a result of HIV/Aids find themselves in the care of the state.

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/ 26 November 2003

Rampant rand keeps JSE in check

The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa was flat in noon trade on Wednesday, with a rampant rand offsetting the positive influence of stronger world markets. Currency traders attributed the rand’s rally to a new best level against the dollar since March 2000 of R6,46 on Wednesday morning to stop-loss dollar sales.

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/ 26 November 2003

‘I am his punching bag’

Brigit Namwalo has nothing to celebrate. ”I have become [my husband’s] punching bag and several times he has knifed me,” she says. Her remarks come in the midst of an international campaign, 16 Days of Activism on Violence against Women, which is being observed in more than 100 countries, including South Africa.

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/ 26 November 2003

Hefer commission mulls whether to call editor

Vusi Mona, the former editor of <i>City Press</i>, should not testify at the Hefer Commission of Inquiry, counsel for the National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Marumo Moerane, suggested to judge Joos Hefer on Wednesday morning.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=24062">The famous off-the-record briefing</a>

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/ 26 November 2003

Sars to lower interest rates

The South African Revenue Service (Sars) will lower the interest rate it charges on outstanding taxes, duties and levies as from December 1 2003. This rate is equal to the rate determined by the minister of finance in terms of the Public Finance Management Act of 1999.

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/ 26 November 2003

Survey dampens Christmas retail cheer

While South African retailers this Christmas season can expect an increase in sales volumes, lower price increases and even price decreases will likely see turnover increase at a much slower rate than in 2002. While total turnover in the retail sector increased by 13,4% in 2002, an increase of 5,3% is likely this year, a new survey found.